Page 91 of Tangled Like Us

Loud and clear, sir.

I’m not thinking about a public breakup yet. Not when we’ve just starteddating.It’s too soon to go there.

Akara stares at me as he answers Price. “Thatcher knows this isn’t forever.”

My expression hardens.

Banks unscrews the bottle of cachaça. Looking me over like he’s seeing how I feel.I’m fine.I know this is just an op.

I breathe out a hotter breath, and my phone buzzes in my back pocket. I take out my cell.

My brows pull together.

I called my mom a lot earlier. Right when I got back from the Acme, I told her about the photos that were about to leak. Told her to lock the fucking door and contact me if media contacted her.

Now she’s calling me.

I lift my phone to Akara. Silently saying,I have to take this.

He instantly puts his call with the leads off speaker. “Thatcher understands,” he tells them, phone to his ear.

I drift further towards the stove. Not worrying Banks yet. Rotating my back to my brother and Akara, I answer the call.

“Everything alright down there?” I ask first, my Philly accent makingdown theresound likedown’air.

“Which headline is true? Should I be invitin’ her down soon?” my mom asks, humor in her voice. “She’s got Nicola’s approval already, but you know Nic would bake the devil a pie. It’s why I love her.” Nicola is her wife, my stepmom. “And your grandma is already crocheting Jane a scarf for Christmas.”

We’re months out from December.“Ma,” I say tightly, but I hear my grandma shout to be heard from the background.

“They’re saying youse two are an item!”

Severity tightens my eyes. “Who’s saying that?” I worry someone is at their house.

My mom answers, “We were reading the tabloids. Some think you’ve been with her for a while. Coulda told me about her sooner, but it must’ve been hard for you with work.” I hear her warm, slightly teasing smile.

To kiss a client in public—she knows I’d never do it. So she thinks what’s going on with Jane is serious.

I rub my mouth. “It just happened,” I say, voice deep.

Banks and I agreed that our family shouldn’t know that Jane and I arefakedating. To them, this is real. If the media were to contact our family or if their friends pry about Jane, it’s too much to ask them to lie on my behalf.

“We wanna meet this girl!” my grandma says. “Bring her here! Nicola and I will cook up a big pot of braggiol’. Banks can come along too. It’ll be real nice to see my boys again.”

Lately, we haven’t had as much time to stop by and see them. “I don’t want the media hassling you three, grandma.”

“Don’t youse worry about us now,” she says. “How’s your brother doin’?”

“Menzamenz,” I tell her.Half and half.Banks had a small migraine this morning. Didn’t last long. “Has anyone been at the house?”

My mom cuts back in, “A journalist kept knocking on the door, but I shut the blinds. Your uncles already came over and scared him off.”

Good.

One journalist is more than I’d want, but I’m aware of what Farrow’s stepsister dealt with—and this is nothing in comparison. Banks and I have been expecting some media to find our mom’s address and phone number.

We’ve been preparing for worse than that, and we’re putting 24/7 security on their house tonight. Everything is set up to protect our family in South Philly.

After another short exchange, we say our goodbyes, and as I return to Akara, I notice he’s off the phone too.